ME in the evening?

[cfriend416]

I've heard some horror stories about ME at MCO being awful in the evening - people sitting in the bus for over an hour before it leaves, for example. Can someone calm my mind? We'll be getting to the podium around 8:45pm. We've never arrived this late before and now I don't know what to expect.

 

[goofy4tink]

The keyword there is 'some'. Later in the evening is a less busy time for DME. So, you may find yourself waiting a bit longer than during the busier times of day. But I doubt it's going to take you hours to get from MCO to your resort. We normally say to figure on an average of 70 mins from gate to resort. Later in the evening, I would put that at 90 mins.

 

[DizDaD7]

We've used ME 4 times at night. The earliest night arrival was 915, 2 at like945 or 10, and 1 was at like 3oAM...Our plane was delayed like 5 hrs....All 4 of those times were literally like a 5-10 minute wait..tops. BTW.I would suggest getting your own bags picked up from the carousel & carting them over to the ME area. This way you can get to your room & if you want to call it a night , you won't have to worry about them delivering the bags late at night and waking you up... If you arrive after 10 pm you have to do this regardless... This past trip in April we finally had a morning flight & it was such a pleasure not having to worry for bags....Because of the back n forth from Terminal A to B and back...

 

[cfriend416]

The keyword there is 'some'. Later in the evening is a less busy time for DME. So, you may find yourself waiting a bit longer than during the busier times of day. But I doubt it's going to take you hours to get from MCO to your resort. We normally say to figure on an average of 70 mins from gate to resort. Later in the evening, I would put that at 90 mins.

We've used ME 4 times at night. The earliest night arrival was 915, 2 at like945 or 10, and 1 was at like 3oAM...Our plane was delayed like 5 hrs....All 4 of those times were literally like a 5-10 minute wait..tops. BTW.I would suggest getting your own bags picked up from the carousel & carting them over to the ME area. This way you can get to your room & if you want to call it a night , you won't have to worry about them delivering the bags late at night and waking you up... If you arrive after 10 pm you have to do this regardless... This past trip in April we finally had a morning flight & it was such a pleasure not having to worry for bags....Because of the back n forth from Terminal A to B and back...

Thank you to both of you! I feel better about it now. We'll definitely be getting our own bags. We always do anyway. It's not that big of a hassle to grab them yourself and it's so much nicer to have your stuff right away!

 

[maxiesmom]

I wouldn't stop to get your bags unless you have to. It is always smart to pack what you need for the first 24 hours in your carry-on, in case the airline loses you luggage. So you can just tell the front desk to hold your checked bags until you call down for them. Works like a charm!

I have to say too that I am one of the ones who have run into the worst case scenario when it comes to late night DME. I've only used it late at night once, and that one time was bad enough that I won't use them late at night again. It still wasn't horrible, but we landed at 11 pm and were not at resort check in until 1 am. Two hours late at night seems much longer than 2 hours in the middle of the day. Especially when you factor in a few over tired, cranky, screaming kids on the DME bus.

 

[cfriend416]

I wouldn't stop to get your bags unless you have to. It is always smart to pack what you need for the first 24 hours in your carry-on, in case the airline loses you luggage. So you can just tell the front desk to hold your checked bags until you call down for them. Works like a charm!

I have to say too that I am one of the ones who have run into the worst case scenario when it comes to late night DME. I've only used it late at night once, and that one time was bad enough that I won't use them late at night again. It still wasn't horrible, but we landed at 11 pm and were not at resort check in until 1 am. Two hours late at night seems much longer than 2 hours in the middle of the day. Especially when you factor in a few over tired, cranky, screaming kids on the DME bus.

We prefer to get our own bags. Of course we do pack essentials and an extra outfit in our carry-ons in case of lost luggage. We know how to fly! But we would rather have our luggage with us as soon as possible, and we like to be to ones handling our luggage as much as possible. So we'll be getting our own bags.

 

[goofy4tink]

I wouldn't tag my bags if I was arriving after 7pm. That would get me to my resort by 8:30ish, and the bags to my room around 11ish,, possibly later. I want to get settled and go to bed when I arrive that late.
If I was arriving at the DME area around 9:45? That would get me to my resort 11:15...which gets my bags to me well after midnight.
Leave the tags off the bags and just get them..as you normally would do.

 

[dis_guy]

Like all the other posters have said, it depends. I would definitely get my own luggage, especially if you like to sleep a little later on your first morning like we do if we arrive late.

How long you wait on the bus depends on several things but I think the big one is how many people DME is expecting in the time frame immediately after your arrival. If you're the last ones they're expecting for an hour or so, you'll be on your way quickly. If they're expecting others in the next 15-30 mins you may be waiting. Of course getting onto an already full bus likely means no waiting at all! Your mileage may vary.

 

[DizDaD7]

Another factor is which resort you're staying at as well. This past trip we stayed at AKL and the bus stopped at CSR first which was only a minor delay. The one b4 that was BWV at 3 am. & they went to CBR 1st. The one before that we stayed at POR and it stopped at OKW then POFQ then us.....ITS still luck of the draw... But we've never waited more than 5-7 minutes tops, as I stated earlier.

 

[dis_guy]

Another factor is which resort you're staying at as well. This past trip we stayed at AKL and the bus stopped at CSR first which was only a minor delay. The one b4 that was BWV at 3 am. & they went to CBR 1st. The one before that we stayed at POR and it stopped at OKW then POFQ then us.....ITS still luck of the draw... But we've never waited more than 5-7 minutes tops, as I stated earlier.

True. Once it's late enough, the usual resort "pairings" go out the window and you'll be on a bus with whomever needs to get to a Disney resort- wherever it is located. Can make for several stops before your resort.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

I've heard . . . people sitting in the bus for over an hour before it leaves . . .

1) Yes, it does happen.
2) They try to fill buses, so if only a few on board, they might delay leaving. *
3) Plus, at that hour, you may have people from 3-6 resorts on the bus.
4) If you are one of the last resorts, that can mean 1-1½ hrs on the bus ride.
5) PLUS, any wait-time before you leave the airport.

* MEARS gets paid a contract fee, plus PER PASSENGER. So, it makes sense to fill the
buses as many people as possible, so the bus run is economical and profitable.